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Living in Massachusetts · 2026

Is $79,000 enough to live in Massachusetts?

Single adult · MA · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,023

Avg monthly expenses

$3,339

Avg monthly surplus

$1,684

Savings potential

~34%

After-tax take-home in Massachusetts

Gross salary$79,000
Federal income tax− $8,734
State income tax− $3,950
Social Security− $4,898
Medicare− $1,146
Annual take-home$60,272
Effective tax rate23.71%

How $79,000 feels in Massachusetts cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Boston

COL index: 1.93× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$2,900
Food
$682
Transport
$338
Utilities
$318
Healthcare
$386
Total: $4,624/mo
Surplus: $399/mo
Rent burden: 57.7% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Boston analysis →

Worcester

COL index: 1.28× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,800
Food
$550
Transport
$224
Utilities
$211
Healthcare
$256
Total: $3,041/mo
Surplus: $1,982/mo
Rent burden: 35.8% — High (35–50%)
Full Worcester analysis →

Springfield

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,000
Food
$396
Transport
$154
Utilities
$145
Healthcare
$176
Total: $1,871/mo
Surplus: $3,152/mo
Rent burden: 19.9% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Springfield analysis →

Cambridge

COL index: 1.93× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$3,100
Food
$726
Transport
$338
Utilities
$318
Healthcare
$386
Total: $4,868/mo
Surplus: $155/mo
Rent burden: 61.7% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Cambridge analysis →

Lowell

COL index: 1.23× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,700
Food
$519
Transport
$215
Utilities
$203
Healthcare
$246
Total: $2,883/mo
Surplus: $2,140/mo
Rent burden: 33.8% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Lowell analysis →

Brockton

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,600
Food
$506
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,744/mo
Surplus: $2,279/mo
Rent burden: 31.9% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Brockton analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,023 ($60,276/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$2,512

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$1,507

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$1,005

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$30,138

Wants / year

$18,083

Savings / year

$12,055

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Boston

Rent alone would take 58% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $116,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.

Lifestyle score: 1.1/10 (Difficult)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $79,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Boston, Massachusetts, but leaves little room for savings (~8% of take-home). Lifestyle is rated difficult, with careful budgeting required to avoid month-to-month shortfalls.

Purchasing Power

Boston's above-average cost of living (index: 1.93) means $79,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $40,933 in an average-cost US city, or $48,301 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$79,000 is 38% above the Massachusetts individual median ($57,200) and 41% above the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$57,200

+38%

State household median

$96,505

-18%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$79,000 vs. Massachusetts income benchmarks

Individual median (Massachusetts)

$57,200

+38% vs. this salary

Household median (Massachusetts)

$96,505

-18% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Massachusetts

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.